


Looking for a Place

by spowell Days End series (SPowell)



Series: Day's End [16]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-19
Updated: 2014-08-19
Packaged: 2018-02-13 18:53:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2161338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SPowell/pseuds/spowell%20Days%20End%20series
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur and Merlin hunt for flats.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Looking for a Place

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lithea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lithea/gifts).



> For Maymeikuru, who asked for apartment hunting fluff.  
> Hope this sounds at least half-way believable, as I've never been to London.

Merlin finishes ringing up the customer and helps the man carry his bike out and attach it to the back of his car. It’s beginning to drizzle when he gets back inside.

Will comes in from the rear entrance with their lunch, and Merlin closes the shop for a half hour so they can eat in peace.

“When are you and Arthur moving?” Will asks from around his bite of sandwich.

“As soon as we can find a place,” Merlin answers. “We looked at three flats Tuesday, but none of them seemed right.”

“How’s Arthur’s old man taking his absence at work?”

“Not well,” Merlin says. “He called me over the weekend and offered me an unbelievable amount of money to leave Arthur.”

“What?” The meat falls out of Will’s sandwich, and he scoops it back up, shoving it between the bread slices. “Are you serious, mate?”

“Completely. I told Uther where he can stick his money, of course.”

Will shakes his head. “Why doesn’t a rich bloke ever offer me money to leave someone?”

Merlin laughs. “You have to actually have a girlfriend first.”

“Har, har,” Will jabs Merlin in the side. “Did you tell Arthur?”

“Immediately. I wasn’t about to make the same mistake I did before, waiting so long. Arthur was livid, of course. But he and Leon are so busy putting together their new company, he hasn’t had time to stew about it.”

“Well, I for one am glad he told his father he’s through with him. Best thing he ever did, I say.”

Merlin wholly agrees.

An hour before closing time, Arthur walks into the shop, grabs Merlin from behind, and spins him around for a kiss.

“Mm, that’s nice,” Merlin smiles. “Had a good day, did you?”

“Brilliant,” Arthur kisses Merlin again.

“Oi! You’re not alone in here!” Will calls from behind the counter. “Remember me?”

Arthur gives Will two fingers as he pulls Merlin in for yet another kiss, this one long and full of tongue. Merlin can feel himself getting hard and laughingly pushes Arthur away. “I still have an hour to go, don’t forget.”

“Well, perhaps your esteemed partner will let you take off early so we can go look at some flats,” Arthur says, swaying back and forth with Merlin in his arms.

“Not likely, after that two fingered salute,” Will says.

“What?” Arthur’s the picture of innocence. “That was a peace sign, William.”

“Wrong direction, Arty dear.”

“I would never…” Arthur begins, but Merlin stops him with a kiss.

“Can’t we just go after closing?”

“The real estate agent can’t make it then,” Arthur pouts a little.

“Seems I’m not the one you should have kissed when you came in, then.”

Arthur lets go of Merlin and moves toward Will with intent. Will backs up to the wall. “No, no, no. Not necessary. You two go on ahead; I’ll be fine closing up.”

Merlin smiles. “Thanks, Will. You’re the best.”

“You sure you don’t want me to show you what a real kiss is like?” Arthur asks, grinning at Will’s horrified expression.

“Over my dead body.” Merlin tugs Arthur by the arm and they head out the door into the rainy afternoon.

“I can live with one bedroom and one bath,” Merlin says as they walk around the second flat they’ve looked at. The first had been completely unsuitable with a family of three above it, complete with noisy toddler and barking dog. It had had two bedrooms and one and a half bath, though, but Merlin would trade that any day for some peace and quiet. He could tell Arthur agreed with him by the way he'd pinched his nose between his fingers and scowled.

“What if your mother comes to visit?” Arthur asks. “We can’t very well put her on the sofa.”

Merlin bites his lip. This is true, and his mother was sure to visit at least twice a year. “We could give her our bed and we could get a pull-out sofa.”

Arthur looks skeptical. The real estate agent breezes back into the room, pocketing her mobile.

“Sorry about that—closing a deal. So, what do you two gentlemen think of the place?”

“We can’t decide,” Arthur says. “Better than the last, but we’d like to see the third option.”

The third flat is in Fitzrovia on the first floor of a period building. The flat features two bedrooms and a bath.

“What do you think?” Merlin asks Arthur as they walk about.

“Bedrooms are really small,” Arthur says. “Especially the guest bedroom.”

“I like the location,” Merlin says, “and the tube is close.”

Arthur nods, looking into a wardrobe. “I liked the one in Vauxhill Grove better.”

Merlin wrinkles his nose. “That one was so modern. It had no character.”

“It had room for a big bed in the bedroom,” Arthur says. “The bathroom was much nicer than this, too.”

Merlin has to admit that’s so.

The real estate agent has been on her mobile again. She walks into the bedroom looking for them, her heels clicking on the wood flooring.

“I’ve just had a call about a two bedroom flat in St. George’s Square that’s come available. It has a terrace.”

Merlin looks at Arthur. “A terrace!”

“Would you like to see it?” the agent asks.

“This is the last one we’ll look at today,” Arthur says, and Merlin agrees. He’s exhausted.

“There’s not much room for a dining table,” Merlin comments when they enter the flat. “I don’t know about this one.The more I think about it, I rather liked the place we saw Tuesday in Knightsbridge. It had the dark counters in the kitchen and the marble in the bathroom. It looked more like a flat for blokes.”

Arthur’s pinching his nose again, a sure sign he’s had enough.

“We’ll try again this weekend,” Merlin says, taking Arthur's hand. He tells the agent they’ll be on their way, and they take a cab to their favourite restaurant near Merlin’s building.

“If we don’t find something soon, we’re going to wind up stuffed into your place,” Arthur says. “I have to move out by the end of the month.”

“I just haven’t seen anything yet that feels right.” Merlin holds his fork out for Arthur to taste his appetizer. “We’ll just have to keep looking.”

They eat and head home, Arthur spending the night. Merlin really likes his one bedroom flat in Central London, but he has to admit it’s too small for the two of them to share comfortably.

As Arthur cuddles up to Merlin in Merlin’s double bed, Merlin opens his laptop and searches the internet.

“This one on Wimpole looks nice.”

Arthur hooks his chin over Merlin’s shoulder. “Except for that horrid orange tile in the kitchen.”

“What about this one?” Merlin tilts the screen. “On Fleet Street.” He hits the slideshow.

“I like the courtyard.”

“Picture your sofa rather than this hideous blue one,” Merlin says. “And it has built in shelves.”

“Bookmark it.” Arthur yawns.

“Oh, I like this one,” Merlin enlarges the picture.

Arthur opens one eye. “If they’re trying to rent the place, why show it with that ghastly cowhide chair?”

Merlin laughs. “I agree. But try to ignore that. I love the kitchen. Look.”

Arthur does. “I have to admit, I like it, too. Wonder why they don’t show the bathroom?”

“I don’t know. It says the master bedroom has an en suite bathroom.”

“Mark it,” Arthur says, lying back down. “Let’s go to sleep. I’m knackered.”

Merlin puts the laptop on the table and turns out the light, settling down.

“You know, I don’t really care where we live, Merlin,” Arthur says. “It sounds sappy, but I just want to be with you.”

Merlin turns in Arthur’s arms and kisses him. “I feel the same way. We’ll choose a place soon, and we’ll make it our own.”

“I can’t wait.” A moment later, Arthur’s asleep. Merlin gazes at him until his eyes get blurry with fatigue and he shuts them, drifting off to the sound of Arthur’s even breathing.

 

 

 


End file.
